Oct 29, 2014 3 min read

A New York woman accused of starting a fire four years ago inside a Bentleyville house was ordered to stand trial by President Judge Debbie O’Dell Seneca following her preliminary hearing Wednesday in Central Court.

Kelly Lynn Lion, 46, of Saratoga Springs, is charged with arson and criminal mischief in connection with the Aug. 31, 2010, fire at 105 First St. that caused about $35,000 in damage. She is in Washington County jail on $250,000 bond.

One count of arson involving an inhabited structure was withdrawn because it was determined no one was living in the house at the time because of a previous fire. It was determined the fire started in a bed in an upstairs room.

Shawn Jones, retired state trooper and deputy fire marshal, testified all accidental factors for the blaze that gutted the two-story house were ruled out, and multiple interviews and the origin of the fire led him to peg arson as the cause.

Jones’ interview with neighbor Vera Lubozynski, a recording of which was played during the hearing, indicated Lubozynski saw a woman enter and leave the house immediately before seeing flames and smoke.

Lubozynski, who was sitting on her front porch at 109 First St., recognized the woman and identified her as someone who used to live next door. She told Jones the woman was inside the house only about five minutes, and she “took off” in her car right before the house started smoldering.

Jones said he briefly interviewed Lion when he arrived at the scene, and she said she entered the house to retrieve her mail and saw five Mexican men inside, whom she did not know. Lubozynski said in her interview she saw no one else enter or leave the house until firefighters arrived.

At the time, the house was owned by Jerry Watson, of Johnstown, and inhabitated by his nephew, Brad Credo. Watson testified he believes three or four other people were living there up until the first fire, but he could not provide names. He said he knew Lion to be an acquaintance of Credo’s.

Watson said the first fire occurred just one or two weeks before the second fire. Jones said he was not called out to the first fire, but learned that it occurred on the front porch. He said it was ruled accidental and was believed to have stemmed from an electrical outlet.

But Jones said an exposed wall after the second fire indicated the electrical outlet had not been the cause of the fire. He said he suspects arson was also the cause of the first fire, but couldn’t prove it due to a lack of evidence.

Lion will be formally arraigned Dec. 30.